The most common things that can cause a car to overheat are as follows:
- low coolant
- too high a concentration of antifreeze (antifreeze actually decreases the ability to release heat, but is necessary for other reasons, freezing is only one of them)
- stuck or obstructed thermostat
- dirty fins on the radiator exterior
- clogged passages on the interior of the radiator
- collapsed radiator hose (may look fine at idle, but not when the revs are up and water is moving faster)
- running too lean (many causes)
- excessive load and or speed with high ambient temperatures
- low oil level
And, I'm sure there are some I've missed.
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